Spray device



c. M. McAR'rHuR SPRAY DEVIGE Filed Sept, l`. 1921 Patented Feb. iz, 1924.

unirse f sra'rss CLARENCE M. MCARTHUR, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

,SPRAY DEVICE.

. Application iled September 1, 1921. Serial No. 497,677.

To all whom it mag/ concern:

Be itknown that I, CLARENCE M. Mc- An'rI-run, a citizen of the United States, residing at Detroit, county of Wayne, State of Michigan, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Spray Devices,` and declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, suchv as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part-of this specification.

`This invention relates' to vaginal spray devices, and the principal object is to provide an inexpensive and eiicient construction of a spray device for the cleansing of the vaginal cavity. A feature of the invention is a series of collapsible and expansible prongs or fingers for the purpose of dilating the uterus and of cleansing the same, or in the treatment of various ailments in which case a medicinal preparation may be introduced into the vaginal cavity or' the uterus. One feature of the invention is in the provision ofv collapsible prongs formed of small wire. In devices heretofore used for this purpose and in which a prong or series of prongs are used for the expansion of the uterus, the said prongs are of considerable surface area which. by reason of close contact with the wall of the uterus, prevents cleansing of the entire wall. By provision of wire prongs as hereinafter described such defect is obviated and a feature of this invention is in the use of wire prongs of small crossl section and in means for mounting the prongs and in the means employed for forcing the prongs apart and the automatic means for drawing the prongs together. These and other objects and the several novel features of the invention are hereinafter more fully described and claimed, and the preferred form of construction of a vaginal spray embodying my invention is shown in the accompanying drawings in which- F ig. 1 is a side elevation partly in section showing my improved construction with the prongs collapsed or brought together about the spray nozzle. Fig. 2. is asimilar view showing the prongs in the expanded position. v

Fig. 3 is a section taken on line 3-3 of Fig. p.

Fig. 4 isa section taken on line M of Fig. 1. The device consists of the central tubular member 1 having an apertured spray head 2 atthe inner endA thereof and at the,oppo site end being formed preferably with anr enlarged portion for the attachment of a rubber tube. The tube 1 is preferably bent at 4 in order that in the use of the device the rubber tubing will not become kinlred at the point of attachment with the tube at the end 3. On the straight portion of the tube adjacent the pointof bend 4 is formed the expansion device for the prongs consisting of a circularhandhold portion 5 and a portion 6 of cylindrical form at the` inner end yof which is provided a hollow cup shaped portion 7, the purpose of which is hereinafter described. Thevportion 6 yof the expansion device has aspiral slot 8 formed therein. On the tube`1 is another tube 9 practically fitting the tube 1 and this tube 9 extends throughthe cylindricalportion 6 ofthe expansion member. 10 isy provided which, as will be understood from Figs. 2 and 3,7is located in the spiral slot v3 on ythe member 6 and passes through au aperture in the memberQ and is threadled in the tube 1'. "This screw 10 -therefore ixedly ypositions thev tube 9 on the tube`1- and also holds thek expansion memberl G. `By turning the expansion member 6to the right from the position rshown :in Fig. 1 the .member 6 is made to move vlongitudinally ofvthetube 1. Atthe forward end ofthe tube Qatv'a distance fromwthe expansion. device is carried a hollow cylindrical shell 1l yopen at the rear end permitting free movement of the expansion member thereinto and'closed at thel opposite end except. for` aperturesy provided for the wire .fingers 12. These wire fingersv or` prongs are preferably in the form shown being madeof a wire bent'upon A screw sey itself at the forward end and extending backward inl` spaced relation as shown clearly in'Fig. 1. As will be understood from the dotted' lines in Fig. 4, the two prongs thereof are brought together in close relation as at 14 and extend into the menitend into a cup shaped member Z as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. These wire members are mounted to rock in the socket 16 and preferably are shaped as shown in the drawing having an elongated curved portion 17 extending about the spray nozzle 2of the tube 1 and come nearly into Contact with the tube near the member 11. From these each wire extends outwardly at an angle to the axis of the tube to the socket 16. By pressing these inner ends 18 within the shell 11 toward the center the curved prongs will be expanded as shown in Fig. 2 and to press these ends 18 together the cup shaped member 7 is moved toward the left to the position shown in Fig. 2 with the edge of the tube engaging against the outer surfaces of the ends 18.

Theplate 15 is secured to the base of the shell llby means of several, screws 19 and between this plate 1'5 and cup shaped member i is a loose washer 20 of circular torni and free tomove longitudinally of the tube 9. A coiled spring 21 is interposed between the washer and the plate 15 normally tending to at all times move the washer toward the inlet end of the tube 1 and this washer lies in Contact with the inner surfaces of the ends 18 of the wire members and, on movement to the right, causes the wire members about theL spray to be collapsed or brought toward the center to the position shown in Fig. 1. This is an automatic action and is permitted. by reverse rotation of the member 5 on y the tubeV 9.

It is thus to be seen that by rotation of the member 5 from the position shown in Fig. 1 the wire members about the spray nozzle are caused to expand assuming the position shown in Fig. 2 in which condition for inv stance the parts being cleansed are held in the expanded position and ypermit free access of the cleansing solution to the wall of the uterus or to the wall of the vaginal cavity. Subsequent to this cleansing operation the member 5 is reversely rotated drawing the member 7 backward from the positionshown invFig.Zperni-itting the spring 21 to force the washerA 20l between the converging ends lfjofpthe wire members forcing themto collapsing position shown in Fig. 1.

vFrom theoregoing description it is evident that the device is of simple torni;l is comparatively cheap to manufacturm'is efeientr in. op eration,and that the operative parts of the device are so assembled as to be readily operable and liability of disarrangement of the parts is reduced to a minimum.

l-laving thus briefly described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is- 1. In a spray device, a tube, a spray nozzle, a series ot wire fingers or prongs positionedabout the tube andy having an elongated curved form in side elevation and being-normally arranged in converging relation, a support for the prongs carried by the tube, said support including a socket in which the prongs may have?. rocking motion in a plane parallel with the longitudi-` nal axis ot' the `tube, said fingers having converging end portions beyond the point ot support, means movable longitudinally of the tube and engaging the last named converging ends of the prongs to rock the same away from the tube, and a spring-actuated device tending to force the last named convergingvends and prongs apart to torce the body. of the prongs or spray device te contracted or closed relationship.

2. In a spray device, a tube, a spray nozzle, a series of wire members extending longitudinally of the tube and normally in converging relation about the sprayI nozzle, a rock bearing for thel prongs permitting the same to rock toward or from the spray tube, said prongs having converging ends beyond the rock mounting, and means for rocking the prongs comprising an expansion device rotatably mounted relative to thetube and havingk a cup shaped end member engaging over kthe converging ends of the prongs, said` expansion device having a spiral slot therein, a screw extending through.' the slot whereby rotation of the member causes movement thereof longitudinally of the-tube, a washer movable longitudinally of the tube within the converging ends of the prongs, and a spring for moving the washer in one direction.

3. In a spray device including atube and a spray nozzle, a series of wire prongs or fingers lying normallyr in converging relation about the tube and nozzle, a rock mounting for the prongs at a point distant from the nozzle, said prongs having the inner ends in converging relation, an expansion device movable longitudinally of the tube and havingr a cupy shaped portion engaging about the inner converging ends of theprongs, and a spring-pressed member tending to automatically force the prongs to closed relationship about the spray. nozzle.

1. In a spray device including a. tube and aspray nozzle, av series. of prongsrlying normallyin converging relation about the tube and nozzle, a support for the prongs comprising a member` having a tubular portion fitting the spray tube` and provided with rock bearings for the prongs, said prongs having converging ends beyond the said bearing, an expansion device having a part tudinally of its mounting, a cup shaped fitting the said tubular member on the spray member on the expansion device engaging tube and notatable thereon, said portion of about the converging ends of the prongs, the expansion device having a spiral slot, a and spring controlled means tending to 5 screw in the said slot extending through the force the said converging ends apart to co1- 15 f tube on Which the expansion device is lapse or contract the prongs about the spray mounted and into the spray tube, said screw nozzle substantially as described. locking the tube and bearing member for In testimony whereof I sign this specifica.- the prongs whereby rotation of the eXp-antion. v l

l0 sion device causes movement thereof longi- CLARENCE M. MCARTHUR. 

